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[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1326360898' post='1495847'] Only lobbed the cryo thing into the original post as it seemed like a counsel of despair, 'quality ain't what it was but hey we can hack it'. There certainly is alot of snake oil in the hifi world, check out the Russ Andrews site. The Kodachrome thing is interesting. I think there's still a film underground but primarily with black and white film which was always easier on the home dark room and seen as serious photography. [/quote] Film is still used, although as each year passes it gets less and less popular and the choice of products available is shrinking all the time. You couldn't process Kodachrome - it was an incredibly complex process and the cost of processing was included in the cost of the film (except in the US ironically) along with a bright yellow envelope to send it off in. I can still remember the excitement of seeing those bright yellow envelopes dropping onto the doormat...

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1326324640' post='1495648'] Ah, Kodachrome. RIP. I've got boxes of 35mm kodachrome slides that I shot in the late 70s onwards. What amazes me today is how I managed to use something as slow as 25 ASA. Happy days. [/quote] Used to use that quite a lot may years ago but eventually drifted over to Ektachrome for rapid processing and faster speeds. As a piece of useless trivia, Kodachrome was actually invented by two musicians... those damn b*ggers get everywhere...

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1326229472' post='1494244'] magnets? valves? 200 years from now electrified music might be a quaint 20th and early 21st century fad back when the power came out the walls for next to nothing. I'm going to be prepared, I'm learning folk [/quote] Excellent We can all sit around the fire singing songs and throwing an occasional Warwick or Fender on it to keep warm...

Speaker impedance is dependant on several criteria that a DVM can't measure directly. Add to that the fact that DVMs measure DC resistance but the speaker is designed to work with AC signals and you're only ever going to get a vague figure, and it's always going to be a bit on the low side (which is exactly what you've experienced).

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1326227648' post='1494186'] IAn far as I'm aware the biggest application of Neodymium is in electric servo motors, and with electric cars bound to happen the demand is not going to drop, unless superseded by something else. [/quote] Yep it's certainly used in those, and the materials were chosen as part of the design. Take away that material and all that happens is that someone will go back to the drawing board (do we still have drawing boards? ) and find a way of using a different material in it's place.

There's going to be a certain tolerance there. If you were to measure two 8Ω Markbass cabs the same way that you measured your two 8Ω cabs, they wouldn't read 8Ω either.

You can't accurately measure speaker impedance using a DVM, the best you'll achieve is a 'near enough' sort of figure to give you a clue if the label has fallen off of an otherwise un-identifiable speaker.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1326216956' post='1493984'] I thought the RF industry still used valves for high power transmitters. [/quote] Up to a point yes. However, valve usage is a diminishing market within mainstream comms (and it really needs to be 'mainstream' to make it financially viable to produce valves) as there has been a shift from 'blanket coverage' to cellular topology and narrow bandwidth digital transmission. As an example of how radio transmission has moved on a notch, for those readers who are familiar with all those fields of transmission towers by the Rugby M1 junction - they're just leftovers, they don't do a thing anymore. As others have already said, I think valves will continue to be made but the prices will rise significantly - not something that the military would care hugely about, but would certainly impact the musician usage of them. I would also expect to see an 'aftermarket' business or two appear; making solid state devices with a standard valve bases for direct replacement of commonly used music valves...

[quote name='mrdreadful' timestamp='1326210401' post='1493844'] In[i] your[/i] end-o! [/quote] Shut yer face Matron

Like everyone else, I have no crystal ball but, looking at history, some trends emerge. Speakers worked long before Neodymium appeared as a lightweight replacement for traditionaly used materials. If it had never been used in speakers it would have had zero impact in the context of our concerns. What impact would it have on us as musicians if it disappeared from speaker manufacture forever? I'd say nothing more than a lucrative SH market for neo cabs, an increase in weight and the extinction of some high end kit that had a limited market due to cost in the first place. Valves have been around in one form or another for some 200 years now and adoption reached it's peak in the early/mid 1960's when the first, rather crude by todays standards, transistors started to appear in commercially available devices. Even UK valve stalwarts Mullard were investing heavily in transistor development. To put that timeline in perspective, the late bronze age only lasted for around 300 years before being overtaken by the iron age - perhaps we've reached that point with valves. I personally think that some valves will remain for a few decades yet, but the prices are going to rocket.

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1326197923' post='1493556'] Lol.... Welcome aboard Brancini, its not always like this around here. [/quote] No. Sometimes we practice innuendo...

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1326152255' post='1493184'] But of course, if every sheep decided not to bleat...they might hear the birds sing [/quote] Erm - I think we have to call them 'vocal backing artistes' these days...

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1326152203' post='1493183'] Haha! I really hope that's you talking [/quote] Me too.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1326151628' post='1493168'] So what have we learned today? lol [/quote] That if you sit in a field full of sheep and decide not to go 'baaaaa' you end up hearing an awful lot of bleating...

[quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1326147972' post='1493080'] or perhaps 'Titty McWrath' ? [/quote] Nice one Phil - Steven was going to struggle getting to sleep, now he's got no chance...

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1326146961' post='1493060'] Yeah it's called taste [/quote] You know what I find the funniest thing about this? I have absolutely no issue about not liking this sort of music. It's a shame that people who do like this sort of music have such an issue with that.

There's one about a woman who strangles two sailors with her bra straps that has the same chorus... you sure you have the right story? It's called Biddy McGrath.

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1326141306' post='1492930'] I've just come in on this thread and I can't believe the blinkered attitude to a blatantly poorly filmed clip. [/quote] Nothing blinkered about my attitude - it just doesn't match the concensus. I watched some of the better quality vid and didn't like that either. In the spirit of pouring oil over troubled waters, it seems that there should probably be a proverb somewhere about the similarities between music and marmite.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1326136780' post='1492821'] Just remembered that I lent this to a pick player on a few occasions. Would that be why the coating had peeled off? [/quote] Could be. I guess once part of the coating gets worn away then it'll allow the rest of it to peel.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1326133279' post='1492742'] So what exactly is the point of coated strings then? Seems to me that you have an inherently tough string of stainless or nickel, and then decide to cover it with a thin layer of weak 'plastic'. Is it meant to preserve the zing longer or something? (not a sound I like - hence the nickels) [/quote] The idea is that the coating stops 'muck' getting in between the string windings and keeps them brighter longer. I had a set on my 505 when I got it and carried on using them - they lasted ages compared to what I've been using since. As for the coating peeling off, I've never had that - perhaps it depends how sweaty your fingers get when you're playing?

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1326068620' post='1491996'] We know Victor is a fabulous and immensely musical bassist. [/quote] Do we really know that? I think I must have missed that part of my education. This clip might not be a great example, but all I'm seeing is a guy playing a couple of riffs up the dusty end and bashing the sh*t out the rest of his instrument. It's almost like Tracey Emmin has been giving bass lessons...

I've got to say that if it wasn't for the fact that he's had equipment named after him, I'd never have heard of him.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1326062708' post='1491909'] I still don't get it. [/quote] Emporer's New Clothes?

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1326062063' post='1491890'] Level playing field for basing your opinion [/quote] Well. The video quality is much better than the previous one and I do think the wooden floor looks nice...

I couldn't even get to the point where the audience presumably started clapping. And before anyone tells me 'if you don't like it you don't get it', I understand leprosy but I wouldn't want to get it...